The Walker Art Center launched their new website in December 2011. The site, a hub for contemporary arts, has been hailed as a 'game-changer' and described as 'a node, rather than an endpoint.' In this MuseumNext keynote, Robin Dowden (Director of New Media) talk and Nate Solas (Sr. New Media Developer) discuss the challenges of bringing this website to life. View a film of this presentation here: http://vimeo.com/44162636

1. Rethinking the Museum Website
Museum Next 2012

2. Rethinking the Museum Website
Why does this work at my place and
not yours?
Museum Next 2012

3. Rethinking the Museum Website
Why does this work at my place and not yours?
How to run from villagers with burning
torches
Museum Next 2012

4. Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

9. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

11. Open Field

12. Gorilla Yogis

13. Open Field
Suzuki Violins

14. Drawing Club

15. Rock the Garden

16. More than 10,000 people attended Rock the Garden 2011

17. Thomas Barlow (T. B.) Walker

19. Public Galleries, T. B. Walker’s home, 1904

20. Walker Art Galleries, 1954

21. Walker Art Center School, c. 1942

22. Spring Dance Festival,1940

23. Ideas for Better Living, Everyday Art Gallery, 1946

24. Benches & Binoculars

25. Dance Works I: Merce Cunningham / Robert Rauschenberg

26. Dance Works II: Merce Cunningham / Ernesto Neto

27. Ralph Lemon’s How Can you Stay in the House all Day and
Not Go Anywhere?

28. Tacita Dean: Merce Cunningham performs STILLNESS… (six
performances, six films)

29. Walker Cinema

30. McGuire Theater

31. Walker by the Numbers (FY2011-12)
–
$18.5 annual budget
$185 million endowment
130 full time employees
12,000 works in the collection
590,000 visitors
10 exhibitions
75 performances in music, dance & theater
170 film screenings
+++ public, school, & tour programs

32. Mission
–
The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative
expression of artists and the active engagement
of audiences that examines the questions that
shape and inspire us as individuals, cultures and
communities.

33. Leadership

36. Rethinking the Museum Website
–
Launch new site December 1, 2011
Two+ years in development
Characterized as “idea hub”

37. Principles informing the redesign
–
Simplification
• tighter integration of parts, more uniformity
• flexible interface that can accommodate wide range of
content
• moving away from the neighborhood metaphor
• organizing content by type of asset: events, text
(articles, blogs), rich media (audio, video), collections
(artwork)

38. Principles informing the redesign
–
Multiple audiences
• how people use the site versus our self-view
• Walker visitors (physical versus Internet only)
• responding to particular user needs (plan your visit,
ticket buyers, art enthusiasts, scholars)
• internal Walker community

39. Two portals
home page calendar
(Walker as content provider) (physical visitors)

40. “Reasons for having a website”
–
Communicate and advance the Walker’s brand, vision,
authority, and voice
Promote Walker programs and prompt onsite visitation
Generate revenue—both earned and contributed
Aid in onsite visitation
Create and advance relationships/community
Serve as a content resource

42. What makes
walkerart.org
different?

43. “ . . . arts organizations, faced
with a lack of media
coverage, are creating their
own coverage, and taking the
dialogue directly to their
audiences.
Marianne Combs
mpr.org, December 2011
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2011/12/walker-art-center-launches-new-website.shtml

50. “
Justo Hidalgo, 24symbols
Quoted in O'Reilly Radar 1/19/2012

51. Etc..

52. (quick)
Site Tour

53. ravedelay on flickr

60. UI / UX

67. Fun

73. Walker DNA

74. Audience Engagement and
Communications
Education and Marketing and New Media Design and
Community Public Relations Initiatives Editorial
Prgms

75. WALKER ART CENTER
Director
Audience Engagement and Operations and Curatorial and Development and
Communications Administration Program Services Finance
Education and Marketing and New Media Design and
Community Finance and Special Projects Government Capital
Public Relations Initiatives Editorial Annual Fund
Prgms Accounting Fundraising Relations Campaign
Human Marketing and Facility Information Building Program
Merchandising Visitor Services Visual Arts Performing Arts Film/Video Registration Library
Resources Public Relations Rentals Technology Operations Services

76. Audience Engagement and
Communications
Education and Marketing and New Media Design and
Community Public Relations Initiatives Editorial
Prgms

77. Walker Publishing Print on demand
Magazine
Getty OSCI
site

79. Walker Publishing Print on demand
Magazine
Getty OSCI
site

80. Process

81. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2010
January requirements gathering for calendar
March divide home page & calendar design
between design studio & new media
May paper prototype testing of main navigation
June calendar tested with friends & family (UX wars)
July all staff meetings: announce a new conceptual
framework
August staff departures, restructuring & rebuilding

82. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2010
January requirements gathering for calendar
March divide home page & calendar design
between design studio & new media
May paper prototype testing of main navigation
June calendar tested with friends & family (UX wars)
July all staff meetings: announce a new conceptual
framework
August staff departures, restructuring & rebuilding

83. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2010
January requirements gathering for calendar
March divide home page & calendar design
between design studio & new media
May paper prototype testing of main navigation
June calendar tested with friends & family (UX wars)
July all staff meetings: announce a new conceptual
framework
August staff departures, restructuring & rebuilding

88. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2010
January requirements gathering for calendar
March divide home page & calendar design
between design studio & new media
May paper prototype testing of main navigation
June calendar tested with friends & family (UX wars)
July all staff meetings: announce a new conceptual
framework
August staff departures, restructuring & rebuilding

89. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2010
January requirements gathering for calendar
March divide home page & calendar design
between design studio & new media
May paper prototype testing of main navigation
June calendar tested with friends & family (UX wars)
July all staff meetings: announce a new conceptual
framework
August staff departures, restructuring & rebuilding

90. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2011
January home page discussions redux
March development begins in earnest
August 9 Board Attendance Task Force meeting
August 16 still debating home page models
August 30 announce web editor hire (starts mid-Sept)
Sept 21 staff presentation (villagers with torches)
October 21 Board presentation
October 31 beta release
December 1 public launch

91. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2011
January home page discussions redux
March development begins in earnest
August 9 Board Attendance Task Force meeting
August 16 still debating home page models
August 30 announce web editor hire (starts mid-Sept)
Sept 21 staff presentation (villagers with torches)
October 21 Board presentation
October 31 beta release
December 1 public launch

92. Walker
The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists
and the active engagement of audiences. (Or other language)
SEARCH THE WALKER ARCHIVES
NAV NAV NAV NAV NAV NAV
AT THE WALKER WALKER BLOGS
(rotating slides)
(rotating slides)
Headline
Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog
or short description Beginning of blog or short description
Beginning of blog or short description . . . (more)
WALKER CHANNEL
Headline of what is showing above
FEATURE ARTICLES (from calendar or other places)
EXHIBITIONS PERFORMANCE FILM/VIDEO NEW MEDIA DESIGN EDUCATION OTHER
-Featured Article 1
-Featured Article 2
-Featured Article 3 Headline
-Featured Article 4
Description of video Description of
video Description of video Description
of video Description of video Descrip-
FROM THE ARCHIVES ARTWORK OF THE DAY tion of video Description of video.
FEATURED/CURATED SPACE
(ArtsConnected)
(rotating slides)
Headline Headline Regis Dialogues
Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog or short Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog Every day for this month we will be posting a new essay
description Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog or short description about a film critic, culled from 20 years of Regis dialogues.
or short description . . . (more) Beginning of blog or short description . . . (more)

93. NAV
Walker
The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists
and the active engagement of audiences. (Or other language)
HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT
SEARCH THE WALKER ARCHIVES
WALKER
MARCH 13, 2010 NAV NAV NAV NAV NAV NAV
AT THE WALKER WALKER BLOGS
A CATALYST FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION
(rotating slides)
FEATURE STORIES
(rotating slides)
Headline
Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog
or short description Beginning of blog or short description
Beginning of blog or short description . . . (more)
WALKER CHANNEL
Headline of what is showing above
FEATURE ARTICLES (from calendar or other places)
EXHIBITIONS PERFORMANCE FILM/VIDEO NEW MEDIA DESIGN EDUCATION OTHER
PHILIP BITHER DISCUSSES THE HISTORY OF
PERFORMANCE ART IN THE GALLERIES
The beginning of this story beginning of this story beginning of this story beginning of this story beginning -Featured Article 1
of this story beginning of this story beginning of this story beginning of this story beginning of this story -Featured Article 2
beginning of this story beginning of this story beginning of this story beginni.
-Featured Article 3 Headline
AT THE WALKER VISUAL ART -Featured Article 4
Description of video Description of
BLOG POST video Description of video Description
BLOG POST of video Description of video Descrip-
BLOG POST FROM THE ARCHIVES ARTWORK OF THE DAY tion of video Description of video.
NEW MEDIA
BLOG POST FEATURED/CURATED SPACE
BLOG POST
HEADLINE HEADLINE
BLOG POST
PERFORMING (ArtsConnected)
ARTS
BLOG POST (rotating slides)
BLOG POST
BLOG POST
HEADLINE HEADLINE
FROM THE ARCHIVES FILM
BLOG POST
BLOG POST
BLOG POST
Headline Headline Regis Dialogues
EDUCATION Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog or short Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog Every day for this month we will be posting a new essay
description Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog or short description Beginning of blog or short description about a film critic, culled from 20 years of Regis dialogues.
BLOG POST or short description . . . (more) Beginning of blog or short description . . . (more)
BLOG POST
HEADLINE HEADLINE BLOG POST
WALKER CHANNEL DESIGN
BLOG POST
BLOG POST
BLOG POST

95. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2011
January home page discussions redux
March development begins in earnest
August 9 Board Attendance Task Force meeting
August 16 still debating home page models
August 30 announce web editor hire (starts mid-Sept)
Sept 21 staff presentation (villagers with torches)
October 21 Board presentation
October 31 beta release
December 1 public launch

96. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2011
January home page discussions redux
March development begins in earnest
August 9 Board Attendance Task Force meeting
August 16 still debating home page models
August 30 announce web editor hire (starts mid-Sept)
Sept 21 staff presentation (villagers with torches)
October 21 Board presentation
October 31 beta release
December 1 public launch

98. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2011
January home page discussions redux
March development begins in earnest
August 9 Board Attendance Task Force meeting
August 16 still debating home page models
August 30 announce web editor hire (starts mid-Sept)
Sept 21 staff presentation (villagers with torches)
October 21 Board presentation
October 31 beta release
December 1 public launch

99. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2011
January home page discussions redux
March development begins in earnest
August 9 Board Attendance Task Force meeting
August 16 still debating home page models
August 30 announce web editor hire (starts mid-Sept)
Sept 21 staff presentation (villagers with torches)
October 21 Board presentation
October 31 beta release
December 1 public launch

100. Artistic Program Directors’ Concerns
–
They have not had a chance to embrace the new
conceptual framework and don't understand the
decision making process that got us here.
The home page does not reflect the Walker as a
multidisciplinary art center and arts presenter.
Walker's artistic programming is not visible on the
home page or site navigation.

101. Redesign Roadmap: Major Milestones
2011
January home page discussions redux
March development begins in earnest
August 9 Board Attendance Task Force meeting
August 16 still debating home page models
August 30 announce web editor hire (starts mid-Sept)
Sept 21 staff presentation (villagers with torches)
October 21 Board presentation
October 31 beta release
December 1 public launch

102. The advantage of being located in the
middle of the country

112. ...how are we doing?

113. What can we measure
now?

114. Is the content being
consumed?

116. 40%
more visits

118. Brand new
audiences

120. Out of state...

122. Global...

124. 150 %*

126. 50%
more links in

128. walkerart.org
is a
destination

130. 21%
more engagement
(3+ minutes, 3+ pageviews)

132. 2X More
return visits
(return visit within 2 weeks)

134. How do people say
they're using the site?

135. I'm visiting the site today to...
a) Plan a visit
b) Conduct professional or academic research
c) Find specific information for personal interest
d) Browse casually
e) Make a transaction

138. So??

140. Sustainable?

141. All content starts on
the web

142. Next: Collections

145. So??

146. The web allows
100% of the
population to access
the best 1% of
museum content.
Paraphrasing Chris Lloyd @ theconversation.edu.au
h/t Mia Ridge @ openobjects.blogspot.com

147. What content can
you host that is
unique to your
museum?

148. Linking = Authority

149. http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2012/04/25/vetting-wikipedia-for-wikilink/

150. https://www.gov.uk/designprinciples#second
h/t @frankieroberto via http://openobjects.blogspot.ca/2012/04/whats-right-question-about-museum.html

151. Robin Dowden Nate Solas
@rdowden @homebrewer